The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be a historic occasion for the sport of para-cycling, as the sport makes its very first appearance in a Commonwealth Games programme. bespoken takes a look at the sport and the events set to take place in Glasgow this summer.

As of 2012, people with physical and visual disabilities are eligible to compete in para-cycling. In 1983 the rules and classifications for the sport of para-cycling were set down by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). This involved sorting the competitors into categories, based on factors such as visual impairment and physical disability, to allow for a fair contest between competitors. While the CP-ISRA (The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association) maintains a strong interest in the sport, due to the fact it is open to people with cerebral palsy, it is not governed by them. In the past there was some debate regarding the potential inclusion of para-cycling competitors into able-bodied competitions, however these efforts were brought to an end in 1993 as the International Paralympic Committee sought to carve out its own identity and largely ceased efforts for inclusion of disability sport in able bodied competitions.

The para-cycling programme for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will consist entirely of visually impaired athletes, riding specially designed tandem bicycles in various events. These bicycles will be manned by a sighted “Pilot”, sitting in the front seat, and a visually impaired “Stoker” in the back seat. The pilot will communicate what is directly ahead of the bicycle to the stoker, meaning both cyclists will be putting their full trust in the abilities of their cycle partner. Although the pilot does, of course, have to be sighted, under UCI rules a professional cyclist must not have been active for at least twenty four months in any UCI tour in order to apply for the role of a para-cycling pilot.

Both men and women will compete evenly in the para-cycling programme at the games, in both sprint tandem events, and 1,000m time trial tandem events. All of these events will take place at the newly built “Sir Chris Hoy” velodrome, in the east end of Glasgow. The full schedule for the para-cycling programme is as follows:

Thursday 24th July - Women's Sprint Tandem (Preliminary round, semi-final, and final)

Friday 25th July - Men's 1,000m Time Trial Tandem

Saturday 26th July -Men's Sprint Tandem (Preliminary round, semi-final, and final)

Sunday 27th July - Women's 1,000m Time Trial Tandem.

Will you be attending any of the para-cycling events at this summer's Commonwealth Games, or know someone who will be in attendance? If so we would love to hear from you.